Land-record book.



No. 65|,427. Patented lune I2, I900.

- J. H. SIMPSON.

- LAND macmw BOOK.

(Application filed N b v. 15, 1897.

(No Model.)

THE noums mans 0o. qucrmumm. WASHINGTON 04 c4 "FNITED STATES JOHN HARVEY SIMPSON, OF HELENA, MONTANA.

LAN D-RECORD BOOK.

SPECIFICATION'forming part of Letters .Patent No. 651,427, dated June 12, 1900. Application filed November 15 1897. Serial No. 658,588. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN HARVEY SIMPSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Helena, county of Lewis and Clarke, State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Land-Ownership Records, of which the followingisaspecificat-ion.

The necessity for some simple and accurate system of keeping the records of ownership of lands in the offices of appraisers and assessors has long been felt by officials of those departments. My system supplies this want. It consists of a set of books, including a landbook, a lot-book, and an index, constructed and ruled in a particular manner, permitting the use of symbols instead of written descriptions of land.

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the drawings.

Figure I shows a partial view of the landbook, giving parts of an entry-page and of a plat-page. Fig. II shows a like partial view of thelot-book. Fig. III shows a partial view of two pages of the index.

The land-book A has two classes of pagesthe entry-pages B B and the plat-pages C O. The entry-pages B B are ruled in vertical columns b b and horizontal lines I) b. The platpages 0 C are ruled vertically c c and horizontally c c to represent a Government township. The lot-book D also has two classes of pagesthe entry-pages E E and the plat-pages F F. The entry-pages are ruled vertically in columns 6 e and horizontally in the lines a e, and the plat-pages are ruled with the vertical lines ffand the horizontal linesff, as shown in Fig. II. The index-book G is ruled with the vertical lines g g and the horizontal lines g g, as shown in Fig. III. In both the landbook and the lot-book there are vertical columns headed Owners, Plat-mark, Nature of instrument, Record, the last being divided into Book and Page. In the land-book the first vertical column is headed Section. In the lot-book the first vertical column is headed Block and the second Lot. In the land-book the townships are numbered as in the Government surveys and are generally on a scale of forty (40) chains to the inch. In the lot-book each plat represents a town site or addition, and each VBI tical column represents a block, and they are so numbered at the head, and the lot-numbers are in the first vertical column, and it is so headed. In the index there is a column for the owners and a set of columns headed Lot-book and another set headed Landbook. To each name are given three horizontal lines headed Plat-number, Block,

and Plat-mark, respectively, in the lotbook columns, and Township, Section,

and Plat-mark, res ectively, in the land P book columns.

In actual construction it will not be found necessary to have a plat for every entry-page in the land and lot books; but several-entrypages will be necessary to give room for the entries of land embraced in one plat. This will depend on the size of the page and the number of lines devoted to each section or block.

Having thus described the mechanical con struction of the books,I will explain their use in my system. The fundamental idea is the absence of written description of the lands. The only description is by the plat-mark on the plat, to which reference must be made, only the plat mark or symbol appearing-on the entry-pages and index. Any letter or figure may be used as a plat-mark. Only one plat-mark is given to the same owner in any section or block in the first transcribing. No two owners should be given the same platmark in the same section or block. Thus, as shown in Fig. I, the plat-mark 7 serves to show that Tom Green owns the four-forties of the southwest quarter of Sec. 1, Tp. 7, R. 5, by the entry of the single figure 7 in the third column of the land-book after the name of the owner in the space given to that section. Any other plat-mark might be used in any other section, or the same, if not already appropriated to some other owner. The number of plat-marks in use in any section or block is equal to the number of owners in such section or block. When part of an owners property is transferred, the change of ownership is indicated on the plat, not by erasing the first plat-mark, but by prefixing or suflixing another letter or figure to the one already upon it, and the entry of the new owners name in the first column, with letter indicating the nature of the transferring instrument and the book and page of record. Where the whole property owned by one person is transferred to a new owner, the name of the latter may be entered in the next column of owners to the right on the same line with the seller and with the same plat-mark. An illustration of the system of plat-marks is found in Fig. I. At the time of transcribing James Brown owned all the northwest quarter of section one, four forties, and was given the plat-mark Subsequently he sold part, the south forties, to Frank Eno. This transfer is entered in the first column, being a partial transfer, and Eno is given the platmark 53, made by simply prefixing the figure 5 to the plat-mark 3 already upon these forties. Subsequently Mary Eno purchases the eighty acres purchcsed by Frank Eno, being an entire purchase. This entry is made in the next column of owners on the same line with the seller, Frank Eno, and she takes the same plat-mark 53. Then only a portion of a forty-acre tract or of a townlot is transferred, the portion can readily be indicated on the plat, which is drawn to a scale and the number of acres or feet written loose plats and numbering them in duplicate with those of these books and checking 0% upon these loose plats the lands upon his list he will find whether he has assessed any twice by a double check, and if any be not checked by turning to the township or addition he can checked.

readily find the present owner. The same books are very valuable to county appraisers of lands who are furnished with blank platsheets, each tract occupied or owned being This prevents them from missing any lands that are owned. They enter on. each tract the value of the land and the value of the improvements, and these sheets,bound together, may be preserved for reference, the owners name always being obtained by referring to these books.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In land-ownership records, a set of books consisting of a land-book, having entry-pages ruled in sets of vertical columns headed as follows: Section; Owner-5 No. ofaeres, Plat mark, Nature of instrument, Record, Book, Page; and plats representing townships: a lot-book, having entry-pages, ruled in sets of vertical columns, headed as follows: Block; Lot; Owner; Size oflot, P1at-1nark; Nature of instrument; Record, Book, Page; andhaving plats representing townsites or additions: and an index having vertical columns headed as follows: one eolum n headed Owner; one set of columns headed Lot-book; one set of columns headed Land-book, and having the horizontal lines in sets of three, headed as follows: in the lot-book column, Plat-number, Block, Plat-mark: and as follows in the landbook column, Township, Section, Platmark; substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence oftwo witnesses, this 9th day of November, 1807.

JOHN HARVEY SIMPSON.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD O. RUssEL, CLARA G. BULLARD.

It is hereby certified that Letters Patent No. 651,427, granted June 12, 1900, upon the application of John Harvey Simpson, of Helena, Montana, for an improvement in Land-Record Books, were erroneously issued to said Simpson as sole owner of the invention; whereas said Letters Patent should have been issued to Colin Bard Lebkicher, of same place, said Lebkicher being assignee of the entire interest in said invention, as shown by the assignment of record in this Ofiice and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, countersigned, and sealed this 17th day of J uly, A. 1)., 1900.

F. L. CAMPBELL, v Assistant Secretary of they Interior.

[SEAL] Oountersigned WALTER H. OHAMBERLIN,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

